China's Coffee Homeland - Yunnan: Coffee Bean Origins, Brand Recommendations, and Pricing for Chinese-Grown Coffee Beans

Coffee Fever Sweeps Across China, Yunnan Pu'er Becomes the "Coffee Town"

The coffee trend is sweeping across China. Not only have many coffee shops appeared in first-tier cities, but Yunnan's Pu'er, sitting on the Tropic of Cancer, has also become the mainland's "coffee town." Major foreign coffee merchants such as Nestle and Starbucks come to Pu'er to buy beans, and coffee grown in China is now exported to over 30 countries worldwide.

France's Les Echos recently pointed out that thanks to Yunnan's excellent climate, high-altitude red soil, and other unique natural conditions, the beans grown on local coffee trees are exceptional.

Not only have production and prices been on a steady rise, but the lives of local coffee farmers have also improved significantly. A coffee farmer named Chen from Yunnan's Pu'er said: "After planting coffee beans, we can all build new houses and buy new cars!"

Favored by Top Coffee Merchants

It is not just the French media; Britain's Financial Times also wrote "Chinese Farmers Acquire Coffee Taste," praising Yunnan coffee beans. One coffee roaster noted that Yunnan beans are famous for their low viscosity and rich fruit aroma, and are now an important ingredient in European Arabica blended coffee.

The head of Swiss coffee company Volcafe's Yunnan branch stated that Nestle, Starbucks, the world's second-largest coffee trader ECOM, and one of the world's top four grain merchants, Louis Dreyfus, all come to Pu'er to buy beans. Coffee from here is now exported to over 30 countries worldwide.

Although coffee culture emerged relatively late in mainland China, its development has been rapidly catching up. Last year, China's domestic coffee bean production reached 132 million kilograms. That is not only the combined production of both Costa Rica and Kenya, but also ranks 9th globally.

Great Potential in the Specialty Coffee Market

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) noted that over the past 20 years, Chinese coffee demand has grown at a double-digit rate every year. Coffee has swept through this tea-loving nation because it represents a Western lifestyle. In addition, coffee is especially favored by the urban middle class.

Although China's per capita annual coffee consumption of 0.1 kg is minimal compared to Japan's 3.7 kg, the coffee industry is optimistic about the mainland's market potential. Interestingly, many mainlanders currently know only instant coffee, which leaves plenty of room for growth in the specialty coffee sector.

A Chinese coffee industry professional lamented, "Chinese people often drink Vietnamese instant coffee, but their own excellent coffee beans are all sold overseas." Mainland coffee experts also frankly stated, "Although coffee is becoming increasingly popular in China, compared to mature coffee markets, consumers have relatively weak awareness of coffee origins. People don't care where their coffee comes from!"

Domestic Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

The domestically grown coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee, the Yunnan Small Bean Typica, offer excellent guarantees on both brand and quality.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yunnan is China's coffee homeland, and FrontStreet Coffee roasts two estate beans that show what the region can do. The FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean comes from the Baoshan region, is washed and roasted medium, and shows soft nut and chocolate sweetness with a light plum acidity, making it an easy first taste of Chinese coffee. For a clearer expression of the terroir, the FrontStreet 2013 Natural Typica is grown on FrontStreet's own estate from the same Typica variety that French missionaries first planted in Yunnan, and the natural process gives it dark berry notes, caramel sweetness, chocolate, and a hint of dried apricot over a black tea finish. If you enjoy Yunnan coffee in a milk drink, the FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan Small Bean with Brazilian Cerrado, letting the Yunnan component supply chocolate and citrus while Brazil adds mixed nuts and balance.